Kenya is experiencing a serious drought (http://www.radionetherlands.nl/news/international/6128853/Kenya-declares-drought-a-national-emergency)
Ask God for rain...
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Saturday, May 10, 2008
The Streets I Feared to See
The Streets I Feared to See
I said: "Let me walk in the field;"
God said: "Nay, walk in the town;"
I said: "There are no flowers there;"
He said: "No flowers, but a crown."
I said: "But the sky is black,
There is nothing but noise and din;"
But He wept as He sent me back,
"There is more," He said, "There is sin."
I said: "But the air is thick,
And fogs are veiling the sun."
He answered: "Yet souls are sick,
And souls in the dark undone."
I said: "I shall miss the light,
And friends will miss me, they say,"
He answered me, "Choose tonight,
If I am to miss you, or they."
I pleaded for time to be given;
He said: "Is it hard to decide?
It will not seem hard in heaven
To have followed the steps of your Guide."
I cast one look at the fields,
Then set my face to the town;
He said: "My child, do you yield?
Will you leave the flowers for the crown?"
Then into His hand went mine
And into my heart cam He;
And I walk in a light Divine,
The streets I had feared to see.
George MacDonald (1824-1905)
I said: "Let me walk in the field;"
God said: "Nay, walk in the town;"
I said: "There are no flowers there;"
He said: "No flowers, but a crown."
I said: "But the sky is black,
There is nothing but noise and din;"
But He wept as He sent me back,
"There is more," He said, "There is sin."
I said: "But the air is thick,
And fogs are veiling the sun."
He answered: "Yet souls are sick,
And souls in the dark undone."
I said: "I shall miss the light,
And friends will miss me, they say,"
He answered me, "Choose tonight,
If I am to miss you, or they."
I pleaded for time to be given;
He said: "Is it hard to decide?
It will not seem hard in heaven
To have followed the steps of your Guide."
I cast one look at the fields,
Then set my face to the town;
He said: "My child, do you yield?
Will you leave the flowers for the crown?"
Then into His hand went mine
And into my heart cam He;
And I walk in a light Divine,
The streets I had feared to see.
George MacDonald (1824-1905)
Monday, April 14, 2008
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Bernard's Story
Back in the early 90's, a young man named John Opiyo from Nairobi came to Chicago to go to Moody and providentially landed at our church. He said he joined because, in his words, we "worship like Africans." I considered that the highest compliment and encouragement.
He went on to become a pastoral intern here, and eventually went back home to plant a church in Nairobi. Over the years, we have developed an intimate relationship with the church he planted there - Kahawa Sukari. About every two years, we send a team from Armitage to partner with them in various ministry ventures, and they send teams here.
On one of these trips (2002), a rather mystical and amazing guy named Mike Freeman was on the team and had a remarkable experience in Nairobi that resulted in a daughter church to Kahawa Sukari being planted in the slum. More on that later, but first a bit about Mike...
Mike was once a drug abuser, a drunk, and a gang banger with the Simon City Royals. His life and marriage were eventually broken - all by his early 20's - when he encountered Jesus. The transformation was nothing short of radical. Mike is one of those people who just exudes love for God, to the point where even other Christians consider him a little different and don't always know how to take him. He has a tremendous heart for evangelism, not surprising considering where he came from, and as I said, tends to be a bit mystical.
I heard the story about his Nairobi encounter back in 2002 when the team returned. I thought, "How cool! Mike witnesses to a guy who gets saved and starts a church in the slum." I really didn't think much more of it after that.
Then I went to Nairobi.
There I met a man named Bernard. Bernard was one of the guys that Mike evangelized on that day six years ago. Bernard had come to Kahawa Sukari from Hope Baptist Church in the slum for the conference we were having last month. He made it a point to introduce himself to me and tell me his story. To say the least, it was a lot more amazing hearing it from the guy who was on the recieving end of the Gospel.
Back when Mike was in Nairobi, our team stayed at a hotel. This particular hotel was across the little gorge from Mathare, one of the largest slums in Africa, and I believe the largest in Nairobi. Acre after acre of hopelessness.
Mike was washing his face early in the morning when God told him (Yes. You read that right) to go out and preach the gospel in the slum. Being the mystical guy he is, Mike walked out, stood on a culvert adjacent to the slum, and began preaching John 3:16. Loudly. At 6:00 in the morning.
Three guys from the slum heard him and said, "What the %#@* is that racket?!?!"
They decided to go and encourage the white guy to shut up. However, they got within earshot and began to listen to what he was saying. They believed.
Bernard told me, "I got down on my knees and was born again, right on the spot." They then asked Mike what to do, since they had no church in the slum. Mike suggested they start one, so they did. With the help of Kahawa Sukari, Hope was born in the slum.
Hope now has two or three pastors, a school that ministers to 200 slum children, and 60 or so worshippers on a Sunday. God has provided land for a building - in the slum - and a cluster of houses they are using now that they have knocked the adjoining walls out of to have a 20' x 20' space to gather. They just got a generator for electricity.
Bernard now oversees the school and wants to come to Chicago to study at Moody. He has this crazy idea that God can do anything. This guy from the slum that now pours his life into making a difference because one day somebody obeyed the voice of the Spirit and preached the Gospel.
And even though these church leaders could all now leave the slum, they have decided to stay. Imagine that. They seem to think God can take care of them there. I wonder how they ever got that idea...
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes..." Romans 1:16
Don't ever forget.
He went on to become a pastoral intern here, and eventually went back home to plant a church in Nairobi. Over the years, we have developed an intimate relationship with the church he planted there - Kahawa Sukari. About every two years, we send a team from Armitage to partner with them in various ministry ventures, and they send teams here.
On one of these trips (2002), a rather mystical and amazing guy named Mike Freeman was on the team and had a remarkable experience in Nairobi that resulted in a daughter church to Kahawa Sukari being planted in the slum. More on that later, but first a bit about Mike...
Mike was once a drug abuser, a drunk, and a gang banger with the Simon City Royals. His life and marriage were eventually broken - all by his early 20's - when he encountered Jesus. The transformation was nothing short of radical. Mike is one of those people who just exudes love for God, to the point where even other Christians consider him a little different and don't always know how to take him. He has a tremendous heart for evangelism, not surprising considering where he came from, and as I said, tends to be a bit mystical.
I heard the story about his Nairobi encounter back in 2002 when the team returned. I thought, "How cool! Mike witnesses to a guy who gets saved and starts a church in the slum." I really didn't think much more of it after that.
Then I went to Nairobi.
There I met a man named Bernard. Bernard was one of the guys that Mike evangelized on that day six years ago. Bernard had come to Kahawa Sukari from Hope Baptist Church in the slum for the conference we were having last month. He made it a point to introduce himself to me and tell me his story. To say the least, it was a lot more amazing hearing it from the guy who was on the recieving end of the Gospel.
Back when Mike was in Nairobi, our team stayed at a hotel. This particular hotel was across the little gorge from Mathare, one of the largest slums in Africa, and I believe the largest in Nairobi. Acre after acre of hopelessness.
Mike was washing his face early in the morning when God told him (Yes. You read that right) to go out and preach the gospel in the slum. Being the mystical guy he is, Mike walked out, stood on a culvert adjacent to the slum, and began preaching John 3:16. Loudly. At 6:00 in the morning.
Three guys from the slum heard him and said, "What the %#@* is that racket?!?!"
They decided to go and encourage the white guy to shut up. However, they got within earshot and began to listen to what he was saying. They believed.
Bernard told me, "I got down on my knees and was born again, right on the spot." They then asked Mike what to do, since they had no church in the slum. Mike suggested they start one, so they did. With the help of Kahawa Sukari, Hope was born in the slum.
Hope now has two or three pastors, a school that ministers to 200 slum children, and 60 or so worshippers on a Sunday. God has provided land for a building - in the slum - and a cluster of houses they are using now that they have knocked the adjoining walls out of to have a 20' x 20' space to gather. They just got a generator for electricity.
Bernard now oversees the school and wants to come to Chicago to study at Moody. He has this crazy idea that God can do anything. This guy from the slum that now pours his life into making a difference because one day somebody obeyed the voice of the Spirit and preached the Gospel.
And even though these church leaders could all now leave the slum, they have decided to stay. Imagine that. They seem to think God can take care of them there. I wonder how they ever got that idea...
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes..." Romans 1:16
Don't ever forget.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Dust on My Shoes
As I was in a meeting for work last week, I looked down at my dress shoes and noticed that the tops of the souls of my shoes all the way around carried the unmistakeable red dust of the streets of Kahawa Sukari. Part of me thought that I should probably have cleaned up my shoes a little bit before attending the meeting. However, the dust also brought to mind the passage in Mark 6 where Jesus sends out the 12 disciples. Jesus gives them guidelines as to what to bring and where to stay. He instructs the 12: "And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony AGAINST them."
As I looked at the dust on my shoes, I decided that the dust needs to stay on my shoes. I stayed at the house of Pastor Simon Orieda during my time in Kenya. I was welcomed like family, or more accurately, a visiting dignitary. I was fed and clothed, given a place to sleep, and offered protection during the night. Not only was I welcomed, I was given an audience. The Kenyans wanted to hear about my experiences and what God has been doing in Chicago. Not once did I have to show any credentials or proof of a degree. Instead, my proclamation of being born again gave me any clearance needed to gain an audience.
The people of Kahawa Sukari and Kenya welcomed me and they listened to me. Therefore, I will not shake the dust off my shoes. Instead, I will leave the noticeable collection of dust on my shoes as a testimony FOR the believers in Nairobi, Kenya.
-C.Moore
As I looked at the dust on my shoes, I decided that the dust needs to stay on my shoes. I stayed at the house of Pastor Simon Orieda during my time in Kenya. I was welcomed like family, or more accurately, a visiting dignitary. I was fed and clothed, given a place to sleep, and offered protection during the night. Not only was I welcomed, I was given an audience. The Kenyans wanted to hear about my experiences and what God has been doing in Chicago. Not once did I have to show any credentials or proof of a degree. Instead, my proclamation of being born again gave me any clearance needed to gain an audience.
The people of Kahawa Sukari and Kenya welcomed me and they listened to me. Therefore, I will not shake the dust off my shoes. Instead, I will leave the noticeable collection of dust on my shoes as a testimony FOR the believers in Nairobi, Kenya.
-C.Moore
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)